The Simple, the Scoffers, and the Foolish

Proverbs 1:22

How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge?

Here in Proverbs we see a progression of sinful behavior. We can learn quite a bit about our witnessing encounters from this verse.

We first have the simple ones who love their simple ways. In ignorance, they cling to the coziness of their simple life and simple way of thinking in regards to God's truth, eternal salvation, good and evil. I've encountered many simple people while witnessing...they hear the Gospel but shrug their shoulders and walk away…back to their simple life. As a result of their indifference to the truth, they turn away from God and consequently any hope of salvation (See Proverbs 1:32).

The scoffers who delight in their scoffing make a mockery of everything holy and religious. Just think about the new atheists like Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, etc. and movies such as Religulous by Bill Maher. They worship the god of naturalism and scoff at the thought of a Holy God who reigns supreme over all of creation. This group is particularly tough because even the mention of God, the Bible, and Jesus is immediately counted off as superstition and foolishness. However, 2 Peter 3:3 tells us that they mock the truth of God's word so that they may follow their own sinful desires (see John 3:20).

And the final group is those who hate knowledge. These are the worst of the three because they hate to be taught any truth whatsoever. Their pride deceives them into believing they are above reproof and as a result, they reject any truth that would lead them to knowledge of God which would ultimately lead them to salvation. This is especially true with false Christians. Now I know I'm not the judge of one's salvation but I encountered someone that may fit this description perfectly while I was witnessing in Atlanta. I handed a tract to a lady at the BET Awards and asked her if she were to die, would she go to Heaven but before I could even finish my sentence she replied , " I asked God for forgiveness and I know I'll make it in." I tried asking her if she considered herself to be good enough to go to heaven and she didn't want to hear it.

With God's help, I patiently took her through the law and told her that the Bible declares no one to be good but she continued to put her hand in my face and proudly exclaim, "Nah uh…stop…that's the end of this discussion!"

She then went on to say that she prays every night and asks God to forgive her so nothing anyone says to her will convince her otherwise...keep in mind she had her hand in my face the entire time. I tried getting a word in but she kept shaking her head and making loud and obnoxious high-pitched noises. It was extremely frustrating. I asked her if she had read her Bible recently and she claimed she read it earlier that day. I asked what passages and she said, "Isaiah 1, 2, and 3." I then asked her what she read and if she learned anything new and she said she forgot.

She then said, "Look...we will see who's right when we both die...maybe I'll see you in Heaven or maybe I won't!"

Her pride and contempt for any knowledge or reproof whatsoever was ultimately her own stumbling block. She hates the knowledge of God's word and as Hosea 4:6 says, "my people perish for a lack of knowledge." And unfortunately, a sinner full of pride will reject the truth of the gospel that can set them free and give them everlasting life…in other words, pride paves the way to eternal destruction (Proverbs 16:18). Furthermore, when our hearts are filled with pride, the Bible states that God is at war with us (1 Peter 5:5, James 4:6, Proverbs 3:34).

But we also know that God gives grace to the humble. As Christians, we must preach the Gospel and not quarrel with anyone but with great patience and kindness, gently oppose the simple ones, the mockers and the haters of knowledge and believe that through upon hearing the outward call of the Gospel, God is doing an inward work by pouring out His Spirit upon their hearts and granting them repentance(2 Timothy 2:25, Romans 5:5).

Judas the Preacher!

Here are some Grace Gems from William Secker's, "The Consistent Christian" concerning true and false conversions, written in 1660.

"If you know these things--you are blessed if you do them." John 13:17

To obey the truth, and not to know it--is impossible.
To know the truth, and not obey it--is unprofitable.

For, "Not everyone who says unto me, 'Lord, Lord' shall enter into the kingdom of heaven--but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven." Saving knowledge is not as the light of the moon--to sleep by; but as the light of the sun--to work by. It is not a loiterer in the market-place--but a laborer in the vineyard.

A man may be a great scholar--and yet be a great sinner. Judas the traitor--was Judas the preacher! The snake which has a pearl in its head--has poison in its body! The tree of knowledge has often been planted, and flourished--where the tree of life never grew! All abilities and gifts--without grace and holiness--are but like Uriah's letters, which were the death warrants of those who carried them!

Mere head knowledge will be as unhelpful to the soul, in the judgment day--as a painted fire is unhelpful to the frozen body, in a cold day. Theoretical knowledge may make the head giddy--but it will never make the heart holy. How many professors are there, who have light enough to know what should be done--but have not love enough to do what they know! Give me the Christian who perfectly sees the way he should go--and readily goes the way he sees!

That is barren ground--which brings forth no fruit. "To him who knows to do good, and does it not--to him it is sin." The sins of ignorance are most numerous--but the sins of knowledge are most dangerous! That sinner's darkness will be the greatest in hell--whose light was the clearest on earth!
There are many who set a crown of glory upon the head of Christ by a good profession, and yet put a crown of thorns upon his head by an evil conversation. By the words of our mouth--we may affect to adore religion; but it is by the works of our lives--that we adorn religion.

As trees without fruits are unprofitable--so knowledge without good works is abominable! Leah and Rachel are fit emblems of knowledge and obedience. Knowledge, like Rachel--is beautiful. But obedience, like Leah--is fruitful.

The Prodigal Cat

If you are from Houston then you are familiar with the local contemporary Christian station KSBJ. They center their music and message under a “family-friendly” banner. As a result, they try their hardest to be as sensitive and non-offensive as possible…even when it comes to presenting the “gospel”. This morning, as I was driving to work, I decided to turn my dial to 89.3 (KSBJ) and listen in on their morning show. Well apparently, one of the hosts was in much despair over her lost cat. Yes, they dedicated almost 30 minutes of the show talking about her beloved cat and how much it reminds them of the story of the Prodigal Cat...errrr...Son in Luke 15:11-32. Hey! Why not? Cats are more than just our feline friends...their our furry angels.

The host went on to explain that if the cat would come home to his rightful owner, then he would receive all the cat food he wants…why would a feline settle for the scraps of food in trash cans or furry mice running around in the dangers of a dark alley? As if the lame analogy was not enough, the host went on to say that, like the prodigal son, we all have a "God-hole" in our hearts that we try to fill with things other than God...all we have to do is come home to God to receive His blessings but God is powerless in this situation...we have to make the decision to come home.
There are a few crucial points that get overlooked by seeker-sensitive presentations of this parable:

1. Through divine providence, it was the dire circumstances and afflictions thereof that humbled the son and opened up his eyes to realize that his rebellion would consequently lead to death (Luke 15:17-18).
   
2. The son recognized that his sins were against God (Luke 15:21).
   
3. His desire to go back to the Father as a hired servant. He wasn’t going back home hoping to get material blessings or a better lifestyle. He headed back to the Father’s house in hopes of serving him (Luke 15:19-20).
4. The prodigal son’s demeanor shifts from greed and selfishness (Luke 15:12-13) to humility, brokenness, and repentance (Luke: 15-19).


5. The older son's contrasting representation of the Pharisee; a hypocritical, self-centered, and self- righteous person who does not recognize their own sinful heart and therefore sees no need to repent (Luke 15:29).

It is in these circumstances that that the lovingkindness and riches of God’s grace are set before us. His mercy extends to the worst of all religious and pious people to the lowest and rebellious of all sinners...we are all of one nature and in need of God's forgiveness. (Ephesians 2:3) We see how much it pleases the Father to convert and receive such a great sinner and his eagerness to forgive anyone who comes to him in true repentance (Luke 15:21-22).

So now I ask you...when you came to Christ did you have a genuine Godly sorrow that led you to repentance (2 Corinthians 7:10)? Did you come broken and humble, realizing you sinned against a holy and righteous God (Psalm 51:4)? Or were proud and self-righteous...completely ignorant of your sinful condition? And because He is worthy, was your desire to serve Him? Or did you come to the Father with selfish motives, thinking that God was obligated to serve you?

Hopefully, when you look back to that day when God saved you, you can relate to the prodigal son when he said:

"Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son."

To which the Father replies:

"...let us eat and celebrate. 24For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found."

An Election that Stands

Now that the election is over can we get back to business? All the effort that we put into the preaching of politics…can we now focus our time, energy, and efforts into preaching the Gospel? It’s the preaching of the Gospel that will change the hearts of a nation…NOT POLITICS.

For all those fretting over the election of Obama, I ask you one question. Could God be working something out above and beyond our comprehension? If you believe Romans 8:28, then the answer is yes. Although I will not speculate on what those plans may be, Christians must continue to fight the good fight of faith. Don’t get out of the ring and simply stop fighting...trust in His will and continue to read your Bible, pray, and proclaim the Gospel.

And remember, even though we may not like the results of the election, we must ALWAYS trust in God’s purpose and not in politics or presidents. All the promises of God are still true and we must always abide and rest in these promises.

Another thing...before we react like the liberals and begin attacking the President Elect (and I say this with a big gasp), remember that those who are in authority ARE GOD’S SERVANTS (Romans 13:6) so let’s debate, reason, and discuss things with respect...keeping in mind that he is a minister of God. We must submit to that authority (Romans 13:1-7, Titus 3:1) and if we are going to hold any president accountable, let’s always remember Ephesians 6:12…our fight is not against those in office but against the rulers, authorities and spiritual forces of evil IN THE HEAVENLY PLACES.

So take heart Christian...despite who the people of America elected, always remember your election that took place before the foundation of the world (Romans 1:4) by a gracious and merciful God because when all that we see in this world passes away, this is the only election that will prove of most eternal importance (Romans 8:29-39).

Reformation Day

Romans 1:17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, "The righteous shall live by faith."

On October 31, 1517, Dr. Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses on the door of Castle Church in Wittenburg, Germany. This was the spark that ignited the The Reformation which had historical impacts on music, arts, politics but most importantly, religion and faith. The sum of Luther's protest was in regards to indulgences, which was a practice instituted by the Roman Catholic Church.

In rememberance of this heroic and historical act, Reformation Day is celebrated on October 31 or the last weekend in October by many Christians around the world...a day in which we remember that it is by God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ that we are saved.

For more information on Reformation Day visit http://www.monergism.com/.

And finally, here is a great hymn that captures the theme of The Reformation:

"By grace God's Son, our only Savior,
Came down to earth to bear our sin.
Was it because of your own merit
That Jesus died your soul to win?
No, it was grace, and grace alone,
That brought Him from His heav'nly throne."

The Voice of (Un)Reason

I'm not even sure where to begin with this one.

Chris Seay, pastor of Ecclesia Church in Houston, TX has teamed up with 11 "Bible scholars" and more then a dozen writers, including Greg Garrett, a secular fiction writer and emerging church leader Brian MaClaren to collaborate on a new translation called The Voice, which presents the Bible in a screenplay format.

If you are unfamiliar with Eccelsia Church, they are locally known for their Taft St. Coffee Shop. A coffee shop dedicated to the arts (i.e. music, art, books, coffee, etc.). According to their website, Ecclesia Church "oversees all aspects of Taft". I've visited Taft St. Coffee frequently in the past. This is the same coffee shop that wanted to create a "safe environment" by discouraging other Christians from holding Bible studies in their shop for fear of scaring off unbelieving customers; this is the same coffee shop that promotes and carries Skeptic Magazine, a publication that has often opposed and ridiculed any and everything Christian; and this is the same coffee shop that constantly features books from emerging leaders such as Brian MacLaren and Rob Bell.

AND according to the doctrinal statement on their website, they "embrace the mystery of faith"...sounds suspiciously postmodern and emergent to me.

Despite their belief that faith is a mystery, Chris Seay felt compelled that it was time for yet another loose Bible translation. According to David Capes, who was one of the scholars involved, a recent comment made by Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards compelled the new translation, which reads like a movie script. Richards claimed he read the Bible sometimes but found it "deadly boring" and Capes responds with a sympathetic (or pathetic) "we understand." That's right...here we have a secular artist calling God's word boring, and then we have a "Bible scholar" agreeing with him. In fact, they even have an entire website shamelessly titled "dontgiveupkeith" dedicated to their cause.

Capes goes on to say that we must present Scripture in a brand new way if we are ever to bring people like Richards to the Bible. In other words, we change the presentation of God's word so it appeals to the carnal mind of a human being.

Capes and Seay also suggest that the "literary beauty" of the Bible is missed in today's translations. Rather than reading the Bible as "principles and prescriptions" they would rather have people view the Bible as "a story, a grand drama of redemption."

Capes then says, "Traditional Bibles with their black covers, abstruse notes, and page after page of dense type can be off-putting to them." He is referring to a younger generation that wants to approach worshipping God differently.

To make it even worse, the "translators" add words and phrases not found in the original translation. And they do this all in the name of being relevant.

"It's a way to get people reading the Bible", says Capes.

And what do they hope to accomplish?

"Our take is, if it's written beautifully and calls you into the narrative, that when you finish a chapter you really want to read the next chapter to see what's going to happen, then more people in their 20s and 30s will end up reading the Bible."

Did you get that-if it's written beautifully? Apparently God got it wrong the first time and needs a team of translators to come in and make His word more attractive to a younger generation.

According to Capes, they hoped to come up with something similar to what the King James Version captured, which was translated by scholars largely dependent upon translations by William Tyndale. But Tyndale had a far more noble cause,

"I had perceived by experience, how that it was impossible to establish the lay people in any truth, except the scripture were plainly laid before their eyes in their mother tongue, that they might see the process, order, and meaning of the text."

And.

"I defie the Pope and all his lawes. If God spare my life, ere many yeares I wyl cause a boy that driveth the plough to know more of the Scripture, than he doust. "

His laboring to translate God's word was driven by a passion to have the most common of all people to read and understand the meaning of the text...he had no interest in dressing it up so it would be more pleasing to the eyes of a sinful man.

The word of God is not merely a story to be read like a playwright or movie script! Have we such a low view of the Scriptures that we think we can make it look prettier or more attractive by changing and adding to the words? We should esteem the words of His mouth more than our necessary food and delight and desire it as a newborn baby desires the sincere milk of the word (Job 23:12, Psalm 119:35, 1 Peter 2:2). Why? Because we have a passion to know God more and grow daily in our salvation. Not simply to find out "what happens next".

And if Seay is so concerned with bringing people to know God's word, then do as the Scriptures say and teach and preach the word in season and out of season (2 Timothy 4:2). Rather than changing the Bible to appear more attractive to the world, Seay should proclaim the word of the Lord, that is sharper than any two-edged sword that penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; judging the thoughts and attitudes of the heart (Hebrews 4:12). And with this preaching, God promises that his Word will not return void. Let God's word change the hearts and minds of men rather than changing God's word for the minds of men. Only then will people like Keith Richards have a sincere desire for the truth of God and His word.

*all quotes taken from The Houston Chronicle's article Scripture gets a new Voice

Fit for His Service

I came across an article on Crosswalk about Genesis 16 in which the author claims is a chapter that shows God as “the real hero of the Bible” by revealing the foolish actions of Sarah, Abraham, And Hagar.

Now I’m not sure if the Bible refers to God as a “hero” but that’s not what troubles me about the article. It’s his explanation of why so many characters in the Bible have serious flaws. Here it is:

“During a radio interview I was asked why so many Bible characters had serious flaws. My answer was simple. That’s all God has to work with. All the perfect people are in heaven. The only ones on earth are the folks with serious weaknesses. The talent pool has always been pretty thin when it comes to moral perfection. God works with sinners because that’s all he has to work with. In heaven we will all be vastly improved–perfected by God’s grace. But until then, he uses some pretty ornery people who fall short in many ways, and he does some amazing things through them.”

While on the surface, it is true that God worked with what he had, but the author treads down a dangerous path by suggesting that God had to use us rather than choosing to use us. First, it presumes that God merely worked through these people because he was dealt a bad hand and, despite His divine sovereignty, He had to deal with each situation as it was presented to Him. Secondly, it presupposes that God created a fallen creation and had no choice but to work with the flaws of human beings.

Nothing could be further from the truth. We know that God created a perfect creation and Adam and Eve rebelled and sinned against their Creator (Genesis 3). As a result, humanity was cursed and God pronounced the death sentence over all of creation. God then intervenes and demonstrates his power by redeeming a sinful human being that, in the world’s eyes, seems, weak, unwise, and foolish. This is why Paul said in (1 Corinthians 1:26-31):

For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

God CHOOSES to work out his good, acceptable, and perfect will through the humble, lowly, and weak. It’s not as if God looks down and finds a certain person who is qualified for His service…no…in fact, God looks down and finds no one that seeks after him (Psalm 14:2,3). And despite the fact that we have all become corrupt and sinful to the core, God saves, sanctifies, and transforms a sinner and makes him fit for His service. Why does he choose to do things in this way? So that He may get all the glory...and when the world sees this, there will be no question that it is the power of God in the man, and not the man himself, that deserves all glory and honor and praise.

So rather than simply working with the hand that was dealt to Him, God had a divine purpose in choosing the lowly...whom the world may not comsider wise, mighty, and noble. By despising worldly wisdom and revealing His eternal wisdom to the foolish, weak, and common amongst men whom trust in Jesus Christ as Savior, no saved sinner may glory in His presence...so if we may boast, let us only boast in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world (Galatians 6:14).